Premium
A newly discovered E arly P aleozoic ophiolite in D agele, E astern K unlun, C hina, and its geological significance
Author(s) -
Du Wei,
Jiang Changyi,
Xia Mingzhe,
Xia Zhaode,
Zhou Wei,
Ling Jinlan,
Wang Bangyao
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
geological journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.721
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1099-1034
pISSN - 0072-1050
DOI - 10.1002/gj.2996
Subject(s) - ophiolite , gabbro , zircon , geology , geochemistry , lithophile , igneous rock , partial melting , tectonics , basalt , seismology
This study reports the discovery of an ophiolite located in the Eastern Kunlun Orogen (Dagele, Eastern Kunlun, China) that is mainly composed of isotropic and serpentinized dunite, gabbro, and eclogites. According to the geochemical results, the ophiolite unit is characterized by the depletion of Nb, Ta, and Ti and a slight enrichment in large‐ion lithophile elements, which suggests that the Dagele ophiolite was formed in an island arc environment. To constrain the time of formation of the ophiolite, gabbro samples were selected for sensitive high‐resolution ion microprobe U–Pb zircon dating and yielded an age of 445 ± 4.8 Ma. By integrating the regional geological and geochronological data, we propose that the Dagele ophiolite is a suprasubduction zone‐type. Further studies on this and other ophiolites in the region will provide crucial constraints on the evolution of the Eastern Kunlun Orogen as well as the Proto‐Tethys Ocean in central western China.